Question: Will the mealworms prefer hot or will they prefer cold?
Hypothesis: We thought that the mealworms would try to either get off of paper altogether or move to the warmer side.
Materials: hot packs, cold packs, sheet of paper.
Exploration phase - we decided to do three trials for two of our worms, Ruff and Abercrombie. These mealworms were some of the only left that had not changed into the pupa stage at the time of the experiment. The following are the observations we recorded during the experiment.
Tumble - Trial one. Initially there was no movement. After about 30 seconds the mealworm wandered over to the cold side of the paper. Trial two. After putting the mealworm back in the middle between the hot and cold, it almost immediately moved to the cold side again. Note the worm was facing the cold side initially. Trial three. Note: made sure the mealworm was facing the warm side. He turned, felt the hot side out with his backside/tail and then moved back to the cold side.
Fitch - Trial one. The mealworm was facing the warm side initially and eventually wandered to the cold side. Trial two. Mealworm was facing the middle of the two sides. Took time to feel out both sides and eventually moved to the cold side. Trial three. For the last trail, the mealworm did not go choose any side after 2 minutes.
Note: putting the mealworm directly onto the cold pack caused it to curl it's body around itself. We assumed that it was to try to conserve heat in it's body.
Hypothesis: We thought that the mealworms would try to either get off of paper altogether or move to the warmer side.
Materials: hot packs, cold packs, sheet of paper.
Exploration phase - we decided to do three trials for two of our worms, Ruff and Abercrombie. These mealworms were some of the only left that had not changed into the pupa stage at the time of the experiment. The following are the observations we recorded during the experiment.
Tumble -
Trial one. Initially there was no movement. After about 30 seconds the mealworm wandered over to the cold side of the paper.
Trial two. After putting the mealworm back in the middle between the hot and cold, it almost immediately moved to the cold side again. Note the worm was facing the cold side initially.
Trial three. Note: made sure the mealworm was facing the warm side. He turned, felt the hot side out with his backside/tail and then moved back to the cold side.
Fitch -
Trial one. The mealworm was facing the warm side initially and eventually wandered to the cold side.
Trial two. Mealworm was facing the middle of the two sides. Took time to feel out both sides and eventually moved to the cold side.
Trial three. For the last trail, the mealworm did not go choose any side after 2 minutes.
Note: putting the mealworm directly onto the cold pack caused it to curl it's body around itself. We assumed that it was to try to conserve heat in it's body.